Chroniclelive.co.uk (UK) : Sex offender wins groundbreaking court ruling. Dec 19 2008
A Sex offender has won a groundbreaking ruling that his "indefinite" placement on the sex offenders register with no right of review breached his human rights.
The test case of Angus Thompson came before three judges at the High Court in London.
Lord Justice Latham, Mr Justice Underhill and Mr Justice Flaux said the current system denied him the chance to prove in a review he no longer posed a risk of reoffending.
The judges ruled that Thompson was entitled to declarations that the scheme was incompatible with his right to private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights.
But he added: "I find it difficult to see how it could be justifiable in Article 8 terms to deny a person who believes himself to be in that position an opportunity to seek to establish it."
Lawyers had argued that Thompson should be entitled to attempt to come off the register and stop having to notify the police of his personal details, including whether he intended to travel abroad.
Pete Weatherby, appearing on behalf of Thompson, argued that he should be entitled to periodic reviews.
Thompson was sentenced in November 1996 to five years in jail on two counts of indecent assault on a female and other offences of actual bodily harm. The court heard he has since been released and he has not been in any more trouble.
